There exists a problem in the field of phase change materials of providing a phase change material that has a phase change in about the 75° C. to 80° C. temperature range. This is because there exists at this temperature range mild incongruent melting of compositions such as magnesium bromide hexahydrate.
Strontium bromide hexahydrate has a congruent melting point of 88° C. and has rarely, if ever, been used as a PCM before. The only previous mention in the literature is having been discounted by Lane who is a leading expert in the field [Lane G. A.: Solar Heat Storage: Latent Heat Material—Volume I: Background and Scientific Principles, CRC Press, Florida (1983)] for being too expensive. There is also reference to Strontium bromide hexahydrate in U.S. Pat. No. 4,003,426 which although mentioning the strontium bromide hexahydrate as being used as a phase change material it makes no disclosure of this being used in combination with a Metal Halide.
There has therefore been much effort in the field of phase change materials to find a phase change material that has a phase change in about the 76° C. to 88° C. temperature range and is capable of operating efficiently. Such a temperature change for a phase change is extremely useful for energy storage systems capable of being used in the domestic heating market.
It is an object of at least one aspect of the present invention to obviate or mitigate at least one or more of the aforementioned problems.
It is a further object of at least one aspect of the present invention to provide a phase change material with a phase change in about the 76° C. to 88° C. temperature range.